May 21, 2026
The SWAMS Senior Leadership Team took a number of questions on notice at last month’s Annual General Meeting. The leadership team have now provided responses to these questions and they can be reviewed by community members below.
Minutes # 8.2
Area: Aboriginal employment and leadership
Action: Review and improve Aboriginal representation across staffing and management roles.
Response:
As stated on the Night of the AGM, SWAMS has 52% of its workforce as Aboriginal and 37% of total management positions are held by Aboriginal People.
This is not good enough.
SWAMS is progressing a new Workforce Development Strategy with a strong emphasis on supporting and growing Aboriginal employment across the organisation, including clear pathways into leadership roles. This strategy focuses on succession planning, capability building, and increasing Aboriginal representation at all levels, supported by measurable targets to track progress over time.
As part of this commitment, SWAMS has introduced positions that specifically support Aboriginal leadership and career progression. This includes the creation of a Chief Operations Officer role identified under Section 50D, ensuring Aboriginal leadership at the most senior operational levels of the organisation. This role works directly alongside the CEO and plays a key part in organisational leadership, mentoring, and longterm workforce sustainability.
Minutes # 8.4
Area: Vehicles
Action: Review costs and personal use of SWAMS vehicles.
Response:
SWAMS operates a fleet of 74 vehicles across the South West and surrounding areas to support service delivery. This fleet is made up of a combination of SWAMS owned and leased vehicles. Vehicle use is governed by policy, which allows limited personal use only where there is a clear business need, such as for certain roles that require vehicles to be garaged at home or for senior management positions. All vehicles remain primarily available for organisational business during working hours, with appropriate controls and regular monitoring in place to ensure policy compliance. Vehicles are funded across all of the SWAMS funding contracts and remain sustainable and an integral part of how we operate. The cost of vehicles is controlled, monitored and outlined through many of our funding contracts.
Private usage of vehicles is currently being reviewed by the Board and Senior Leadership.
Minutes # 8.5
Area: Outreach services
Action: Review services provided in outreach areas and provide members with further information.
Response:
Our Client Information Booklet has recently been updated and outlines locations, opening times and information. This is available on our website: www.swams.com.au. Printed versions are also available from all clinics. Outreach Services client and care info:
Busselton
Episodes of Care: 4,210
Total Clients: 1,109
Collie
Episodes of Care: 1,764
Total Clients: 683
Brunswick (Now closed)
Episodes of Care: 253
Total Clients: 115
Katanning
Episodes of Care: 2,271
Total Clients: 878
Manjimup
Episodes of Care: 1,123
Total Clients: 447
Narrogin
Episodes of Care: 1,112
Total Clients: 341
The South West Aboriginal Medical Services. (2025). Annual report 2024–2025 (Health overview, p. 31) provides additional information on SWAMS services and data is available on our website.
Minutes # 8.6
Area: Health Hub Aboriginal participation
Action: Review Aboriginal business participation, employment and procurement opportunities in the Health Hub build.
Response:
Aboriginal people and Aboriginal businesses were an important and deliberate focus throughout the tender process for the project. Aboriginal participation was considered as part of the assessment criteria, alongside capability, value for money, and experience. Following this process, the head contract was awarded to Perkins, who is responsible for delivering the project.
SWAMS continues to actively advocate for the use of Aboriginal businesses wherever possible. Perkins is regularly reminded through formal project meetings of SWAMS’ expectations around engaging Aboriginal contractors and suppliers where opportunities arise within the scope of works.
In addition, SWAMS is taking a longerterm approach to Aboriginal economic participation beyond the construction phase. Businesses that were unsuccessful during the initial tender process will still have opportunities to engage with SWAMS through future building maintenance, services, and procurement activities. These opportunities will be supported through the SWAMS Aboriginal Preferred Supplier Register, which is designed to strengthen ongoing partnerships with Aboriginal businesses and support sustainable economic outcomes for the community.
Minutes # 8.7
Area: Health Hub financial reporting
Action: Provide members with clearer financial reporting on the Health Hub project, including progress against budget and funding arrangements.
Response:
The Health Hub project is estimated to cost $41.8M which includes the Perkins contract that was awarded in Dec 2025. SWAMS has $36.6M in matching Commonwealth and State funding, interest earnings estimated at $1M, and a SWAMS cash contribution of $2.5M. The remaining shortfall and any additional costs will be financed by way of a loan. It is anticipated that this will be in the range of $2M – $3M with repayments offset by a reduction in existing lease payments for rented premises that will not be required post the construction of the Health Hub.
Minutes # 9.1
Area: Clinical service hours
Action: Review clinic opening hours, including member requests for broader availability.
Response:
In the second half of the 2025 calendar year, the clinic trialled weekly early morning clinics (7.30-9am) on Tuesdays and Thursdays with one GP, and fortnightly evening clinics (5-8pm) on a Wednesday with two GPs. For the evening clinic, we chose the fortnightly model with two GPs because each clinic also needed a nurse and receptionist, and this was the most cost-effective model.
At the conclusion of the trial:
- The early morning clinics demonstrated reliable bookings, 85% and attendance of 93%.
- The evening clinics demonstrated bookings, 61% and attendance of 69%. Over 8 clinics, 79 appt slots were not used. On average, that was 10 appts lost from the morning each time we ran the evening clinic that went unfilled in the evening.
The decision was therefore made to continue with the early morning clinics but cease the evening clinics and to put those appts back into the usual booking appointment times where they would be more fully utilised.
Once the new Senior Medical Officer, Dr Chris Bird, officially commences in his new role, together we will review the hours of clinic operation and assess if extending hours including the viability of opening on Saturdays is possible.
Minutes # 9.2
Area: Appointment access
Action: Review ways to improve appointment availability and booking systems, including online bookings and access to Aboriginal Health Practitioners (AHPs) and timely appointments when required
Response:
1. AHP positions
Over the past three months, a working group comprising Key Aboriginal Staff at SWAMS, Community Skills, Marr Mooditj and NACCHO have met on several occasions to progress the establishment of a local AHP training pathway.
Discussions have focused on identifying and addressing key barriers to recruiting and training Aboriginal Health Practitioners, particularly access to appropriate training infrastructure and accredited training models that could be delivered locally in Bunbury.
Ideally SWAMS would be a Bunbury campus for Marr Mooditj, offering the AHP course to SWAMS staff and students from the Community. Interested persons would still need to apply and be assessed by Marr Mooditj to gain entry into the course.
Current progress includes:
- Training venue: Community Skills Centre is actively exploring options to secure a suitable local facility where training can be delivered.
- RTO partnership: Marr Mooditj is developing a proposed training model whereby the program would be delivered under the Marr Mooditj Registered Training Organisation (RTO) umbrella through a partnership arrangement.
- Workforce model: SWAMS Primary Health intends to establish an AHP Coordinator role, who would assist in delivering training with support from a Registered Nurse. Both roles would hold a Certificate IV in Training and Assessment, with support facilitated through NACCHO.
At this stage, SWAMS is awaiting further advice and confirmation regarding the training framework, RTO arrangements, and facility availability. Once this information is received, the working group will reconvene to finalise next steps and timelines. We will keep the Board updated as things progress.
2. Online Bookings
Suitable online booking options are being investigated. Options for this must be compatible with our medical software, which has been a challenge to find.
3. Appointment Availability at Bunbury
RACGP has approved allocations for up to the equivalent of two full-time registrar doctors. SWAMS asked for approval to take on two more registrars for Semester 2, and this has now been approved. Additional appointment times will open as a result in the coming months. GP mentors have been allocated to support the registrars.
A range of other options to increase appointments are currently being investigated and modelled.
Minutes # 9.3
Area: Subsidies program
Action: Review the availability of the subsidies program outside business hours and whether kinship arrangements can be considered.
Response:
We acknowledge the recommendation and request from our members at the AGM for kinship arrangements to be considered in our subsidies and benefits. The Senior Leadership Team will review the policy and make further recommendations to the new Board when appropriate. Specifically, around medications and access of services and benefits for children and step-children of members and children in care.
Minutes # 9.4
Area: ATSI / Non-ATSI use of clinic
Action: Member questions on information around non Aboriginal people using the clinic and other services
Response:
In 2020, the SWAMS board approved a freeze on accepting new Non-Aboriginal clients for Primary Health.
The exceptions for the suspension on new Non-Aboriginal clients included:
- Parents/carers of Aboriginal children
- Partners of Aboriginal clients
- Staff or family of SWAMS staff. Family is defined as immediate family, living in the same household.
- BORR & NDIS clients
Under the Mental Health contracts specifically, there is a requirement to accept Non-ATSI clients. The Mental Health team triage referrals and accept Non-ATSI clients on a case-by-case basis if they are eligible under those contracts.
Individual extenuating circumstances could be approved by the then Clinic Practice Manager and CEO.
According to our data, the number of Non-Aboriginal current clients is now approximately 12% (a decrease from 19% in 2018). There has been a significant increase in Aboriginal clients. The total number of current clients from 2018 – 2026 has increased from approximately 3,600 to 5,800.